Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-31
WHITE TRASH.
People Down In Hardin County Taking
Things Easy, rs the Indians
Did Before Them.
shiftless Negroes, Who are a Curse to the
Commuhity-Some Natural
Advantages.
Chicago Herald,


regulation government county OF the
state. 1t is bounded on the east and
south by the Ohio river, on the west by
Massac, and on the north by Saline and
Gallstin counties. Its surface is billy and
broken The valleys usually marked by
winding streams of pure, running water,
all terminate at the river, and the sloping
hills rise gradually, some o! them reach-
ing en- altitude Of 500 feet above the gen
eral level at the northern boundary. Hill
and valley are alike covered with heavy
timber and thick underbrush, except
WHERE the farmer has destroyed both and
called down the sunshine to energize and
lnvigOrste his CORP, wheat and vegetables.
Frequently these hills, often two or
three miles apart, jut out into the
river, forming oeep crescent-shaped
bays between, and presenting views very
pleasing TO the eye. at this season of tt e
year these promontories ere covered with
DARK green foliage, composed OF osk,
cedar, sweet gum, dog wood, walnut,
elm, etc, and ground is decorated with
profusion Of wild flowers, the rose pre-
dominating. As the steamer on which
you ride floats down the river, these pro-
iecting hills, apparently. moving grace
fully in an opposite direction, present q
panoramic scene exquisltely charming.
The valleys and table lands are dotted
with farms, but few Of the latter can
boast of residences that indicate much re
finement or wealth. The old-fashioned
double log cabin is TO be
seen almost everywhere, and
it seems strange that country so
rich in building material, which must
bes cheap from the very nature Of the
surro findings, should have so few brick
or frame houses. Now and then good
house IS to be seen. II is but just to say,
however, that the citizens of the county
gre ahead of some others in point of first
class schoolhouses. About two years ago
sclOolhCuse craze struck the county,
and in less than eighteen months over
seventy good buildings were erected,
each supplied with modern furniture and
every convenience now demanded by the
public schools. The farms are poorly
cultivated, and thu live stock is generally
OF an inferior cla' Site horses being
small, betraying SCRUB ancestry, and the
cattle and hogs corresponding. The
long-legged, long horned cow and the
razor backed hog still roani the forests,
Craze in the meadows, or plow up the
ground of Hardin county as in pioneer
days.
The county was organized in 1887 and
the first settlers were from Kentucky and
Tennessee. When the pioneers first land
ed OF the shores of the county the Indian
had not yet TUNED lis face or his foot
steps to the west, and it was several
years thereafter before the Shawnee tribe
bid 8 final adieu to these hills and valleys
and passed from out the shade OF the
primeval forests that had witnessed the
birth, life and death of their chieitains
their warriors and their squsws. There
are many citizens yet living here, men
and women, who saw the Indians, heard
their wild yells and witnessed their saw
age war dances, their queer cere-
monies and stood in silent wonder and
speeches. awe of their dread mockeries
and heathenish mummeries. All over Har
din counry are strewn evidences Of
the Indian occupation of the country in
the shape OF stone axes, arrow heads,
charms, broken pottery and an occasional
Ratchet or 'plpe of peace" Every hi,l
is marked with the graves of the red man
many of them in a good state Of preserva-
ton, and in this village it is common
occurrence in eXcavating for cellars to
strike the remains of g chieftsin, warrior
or g memper of the GLOVER class" The
town is built on the site OF an old Indiar
grave yard, and it would appear from tbs
freshness Of the graves, the recollections
OF the early settlers and the relics found
tnst here the "noble red man" fingered
long before he moved west. And why
not? TIE view as far as the eye car
reach into Kentucky and up and down thu
river is picturesque and grand. Here, OF
these elevated bluffs, were indeed fGod's
first temples" decked with all the glow
ing beauties of nature. The valleys wer,
rich in scenery, and especially favored
with streams OF flowing water. Tn
woods were alive with game, from tt
proud elk and domineering bison to tn
bounding deer or eacherous bear, say
ing IothIDg OF the tJcks Of wild turkey
and pheasants. The waters swarme
with choice tisr, and on their bosom
swan innumersble fiocks of geese an
ducks, 1t must have been paradise 70
the Indian, and no wonder he fingered S
long before he departed to seek q ne1
home On the sunset side of the Father c
Waters.
1t is not remarkable that the whit
man, followed so closely on the heels c
the Indian and finding the country bur
dened with choice game and soil so ric
that TO scratch it with a hoe compelle
it TO laugh with q harvest" should to
certain extent fall into the habits an
customs of his predecessor A log cabi
would do well enough for shelter, th
rife furnish plenty of choice and deliciou
NESTS, a little eXertion with hoe woul
produce plenty of fresh vegetables, On
the peltries of the wild animals slai
could be battered for -four, meal, gro
ceries snd coarse fabrics for unpreten
tious clothing. Without the cares the
travel in the train of active business lii
nothing even resembling the soci
scandals and resentment of tsrefned life"-
could not the pioneer be happy? Tin
wore on, and what at first was pleasin
novelty unconsciously grew into q cor
tirmed habit. The young pioneer gre
into old age and fell into the grave. Es
ample is 8 powerful teacher, and the SO
proved an apt scholar. And yet the rusl
ing spirit of progress Of this fast sge he
penetrated the glens and solitudes
even Hardin county, and sheds its benis
nant rays over the souls of its present il
habitants, and inspired them with smb
ton to throw of the yoke of old fogvis,
willed them by their ancestors; but sti
they are far behind the age in actual g.,